Improvement in bed-bottoms



E. W'.MAXSON.

Bed-Bottom.

No. 206,256. Patented July 23,1878.

. Iwwmihn aha/A N. PETERS. PHOTO-L THOGRAFHER WASHINGTON D C UNITEDSTATES PATENT OEEIoE.

EIHVIN \V. MAXSOJ, OF VEST LENOX, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BED-BOTTOMS.

Speeificalion forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,256, dated July 23,1878' application filed November 26, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enwn: WILLIAMs MAX- soN, of IVest Lenox, in thecounty of Susquehanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Bed-Springs; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whichwill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My improvements relate to a special construction of spring bed-bottoms;and consists, primarily, in a peculiar combination and arrangement ofspiral springs with adjustable metallic tension straps or springs, andin certain details of construction incident thereto.

In the drawings Ihave shown only one section of a bed-bottom, that beingsutlicient to illustrate my invention, it being understood that acomplete bed-bottom would be made up ofa series of such sections, thenumber depending upon the width of the bed, and I place these sectionslengthwise of the bedstead, with their ends resting on boards or slatsplaced crosswise of the same at its head and foot, and hold them toplace in any suitable manneras, for instance, by blocks nailed to thecrossslats between the sections.

Figure l is a perspective view, the central portion being broken awayFig. 2, a partial elevation, and Fig. 3 a perspective View of one of thesprin g-supportin g uprights or brackets.

A is a wooden slat, aflording a support for my novel devices, which Iwill now proceed to describe, as also their functions and operation. B Bare frames or upright brackets secured firmly but adjustably to the slatA, and they are peculiarly constructed as follows: They are made withside pieces 0 0, having long bases (1 where they rest upon the slats,and they incline backward, as seen, and at top are provided with ahorizontal or crossing part or bar, e, having holes f f f, and having aflange, g. The sides 0 c are connected at the base by a web or crossingpart, 71, through which is an opening, h, to receive a bolt, "1', whichpasses through it and through the slat, and is there secured andadjusted to the required degree of tightness by a nut, j. 7- is awasher, which may be interposed between the nut and the bottom of theslat. I make one of the frames or brackets, B, with a downwardprojecting prong, (1, adapted to enter a hole in the slat, though bothmay be so made, if desired.

Passing from each hole f in either of the brackets B B to thecorresponding hole in the other bracket is a metal strap, m, ofhoop-iron or equivalent material. The ends of these straps are severallypassed over the top of flange g, over the back edge of the same, andthen retroverted and inserted in one of the holes f, which serves as asufficient fastening to resist the strain and tension.

In order properly to sustain these yielding straps between their pointsof suspension, and to give and preserve to them the requisiteelasticity, and also to hold them in an upward bowing position, I employspiral springs N N, (two or more, as may be preferred,) secured at theirbottoms to the slat and at their tops to cross-bars O 0. These spiralsare preferably conical, their base being connected to the slat, and thetip being connected to the cross-bar by simply inserting the end of thewire composing the spiral in a central hole in the under side of thecross-bar.

The middle strap need not be in any way fastened to the cross-bars, butmay simply rest loosely thereon; but the two outer straps which rest 011the extreme ends of these bars I prefer to secure against being slippedor forced off the b. rs by means of a button, 12, provided with aclasping-hook, q, this button being adjustably secured to the cross-barby means of a screw, 0', and its hook grasping and holdin g the strap atits outer edge, as shown. By this means it will be seen that while thebars 0 0 hold up and sustain the straps, the latter also steady andsupport the ends of the bars, and prevent their being violently presseddown at either of their ends, and also serve, through such bars, topreserve the upright position of the spiral springs and to preserve themfrom lateral distortion or damage. The height of the spiral springs issuch as to elevate the yielding straps m above their points of suspension, so as to give a slight upward or convex bow or arch to the wholeof these straps.

In practice, the foot-bracket B should be bolted rigidly to the woodenslat A, and ample means for adjusting the tension of the straps on willbe afforded by means of the bolt and nut of the bracket B, which Iprefer to place at the head'cnd of the slat, the turning; or tighteningof the nut 011 the bolt of this bracket serving to increase the tensionto any required degree.

The strain and tension of the straps m are sustained by the slats A, andthe tendency of the strain is to very gradually and ultimately draw theslat into a down wardly-bowing shape, which in time might exhaust thecapacity of the thread on the head-bracket bolt. In such a contingency Ireverse the slat-that is, take it oif and turn the bowing side inwardand upward, and reconnect to the brackets as be fore; or, instead ofthis, additional washers may be inserted between the nuts and slats.

l clain1- 1. The spring supports or brackets B, (constrneted asdescribed-that is, with the side arms or pieces 0 c, cross-piece 0,holes f, and hole h, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a wooden slat, and with the series of metalstraps m, the brackets 13 B, and the cross blocks or bars 0, the claspsor buttons 12 q, applied to the block, as shown, and serving to hold theouter straps to position.

3. In combination with the wooden slats, the brackets B B, constructedas described, and applied to the slats by means of the hook-bolts i andnuts j, as shown and set forth.

4. In combination, the slat A, brackets B B, spiral springs N,cross-pieces O, and metal Straps m, the combination being substantiallyas-and for the purposes set forth.

ERYVIN WILLIAMS MAXSOX.

Witnesses:

I). IV. KELLUM, E. A. 1ELLT3L

